Archive for October, 2012

Unbelievable and ridiculous! While other countries sought to locate suspected tax dodgers whose names were on so-called “Lagarde-List”, Greece is seeking for the journalist who published the 2,059 names – and thus with an arrest warrant! On Saturday evening and just hour after the print edition of HOT DOC was in the market, the prosecutor issued an arrest warrant against the publisher Kostas Vaxevanis! The warrant by the Athens Prosecutor , has been issue don reasons of misappropriation of a public document and for violating personal date.

Greek police has launched investigation to locate and arrest the HOT DOC publisher, said police in a statement, that among others reads:

It has not been verified whether the list content is based on the original CD given by French authorities to Greek government.

The people on the list cannot be automatically considered as suspected tax evaders, as the majority are known businessmen who could legally have deposits in banks abroad. (via in.gr)

One should not comment here that everybody has the right to have deposits in banks abroad whether ‘known businessman’ or ‘unknown housewife’…

The prosecutor has ordered the arrest of Vaxevanis ex officio (by force of the office) and not complaint was filed by any of the persons on the list, according to Greek mainstream media.

Kostas Vaxevanis wrote on his Twitter account after the warrant was issued:

“The Justice winks. Rather than arresting thieves and ministers who act illegally, it wants to arrest the truth. “

One cannot but wonder about the Greek wonders!

The arrest warrant triggered an outrage with the Journalist’s Union (ESHEA) issuing a statement and describing the decision of the prosecutor as “hypocrisy.”

Immediately after the warrant news was spread, a support group was formed on Facebook reaching more than 5,000 “Likes” in less than two hours.

The list was apparently ‘missing’ for two years, after it was given to ex FinMin Papaconstantinou in October 2012. Also ex FinMin Venizelos – now leader of PASOK & Samaras coalition partner – was recently forced to hand out a copy of the list on usb-stick only after immense pressure by the media. Read here our earlier posted story: Lagarde-List Leaked: HOT DOC Publishes 2,059 Names from Stolen HSBC-List

PS next step could be an arrest warrant for Christine Lagarde for forwarding to Greeks the list of ex-HSBC employee Falciani who illegally obtained (stole) the bank data…